Habitat Tuscaloosa, Builders Group Partner On New Neighborhood For 32 Habitat Families

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Builders Group and Habitat for Humanity of Tuscaloosa on Tuesday announced a corporate-nonprofit partnership to develop a new neighborhood that will be how to 32 Habitat families.

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Dubbed the Milestone Neighborhood, the new development will be located at the southern end of 42nd Avenue and 43rd Avenues in Tuscaloosa. The homes are expected to be completed in the next 3-4 years.

The Builders Group is a longtime Habitat Tuscaloosa partner and has owned the property for more than 20 years.

Habitat says that in 2022, the Builders Group developed the property and installed the roads and other infrastructure.

Habitat Tuscaloosa Executive Director Ellen Potts said while the nonprofit does have other property, most of it does not have infrastructure.

"Without this acquisition from the Builders Group, we would have run out of buildable lots in another few months," she said. "The property we received from the Builders Group will give us about 3 years to raise the funds and install the infrastructure on the property we own near Kaulton Park. The fact that this new property is within a mile of [Tuscaloosa Career & Technical Academy], so that we can continue our Operation Transformation job training program, is the icing on the cake.”

Potts said the 32-lot property acquisition will expand the number of new homes for Habitat’s Operation Transformation to 75 — adding to the 43 lots previously acquired in 2021. As part of this specific initiative, some of the construction work will be performed by TCTA students and students served by United Cerebral Palsy.

Builders Group President Brock Corder reportedly approached Habitat Tuscaloosa last October concerning the possibility of the company donating some of the lots to Habitat and selling others to them.

Habitat Tuscaloosa says after examining the proposal and visiting the property, the Habitat Tuscaloosa board voted unanimously to approve the Builders Group’s proposal.

“This is certainly a milestone for both Habitat Tuscaloosa and The Builders Group," Corder said. "For Habitat it represents new beginnings, and for us it represents the culmination of a project we began 20 years ago to provide affordable, new housing in West Tuscaloosa. When all is said and done, this project will include about $6 million total investment of both private and public dollars to provide affordable housing in West Tuscaloosa. Bigger still, is that it provides a runway of on-the-job learning projects for local city and county students learning the trades and preparing for a career in construction.”

The purchased portion of the property was funded by the donation given to Habitat last year by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Habitat says the first home in the Milestone neighborhood will be an autism-supportive home built for the Ivory family.

Additionally, another home will be built completely handicapped accessible for the Jemison - Martin Family, whose 8-year-old daughter Miracle is a quadriplegic as a result of a automobile accident.

Habitat says donations from new donors are currently matched dollar for dollar by the nonprofit and can be made here.

Donations from new donors to Habitat Tuscaloosa are currently matched dollar for dollar and can be here.

A ribbon-cutting for the new neighborhood will be held on Friday, March 19 at 11 a.m.

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